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The ghost pepper, also known as ''bhut jolokia'' (which literally means '
Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...
pepper' in
Assamese Assamese may refer to: * Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India * People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam * Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...
), is an
interspecific hybrid In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in ...
chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...
cultivated in
Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...
. It is a hybrid of ''
Capsicum chinense ''Capsicum chinense'', commonly known as a "habanero-type pepper", is a species of chili pepper native to the Americas. ''C. chinense'' varieties are well known for their unique flavors and many have exceptional heat. The hottest peppers in the ...
'' and ''
Capsicum frutescens ''Capsicum frutescens'' is a wild chili pepper having genetic proximity to the cultivated pepper '' Capsicum chinense'' native to Central and South America. Pepper cultivars of ''C. frutescens'' can be annual or short-lived perennial plants. Fl ...
''. In 2007, ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' certified that the ghost pepper was the world's hottest chili pepper, 170 times hotter than
Tabasco sauce Tabasco is an American brand of hot sauce made from vinegar, tabasco peppers (''Capsicum frutescens'' var. ''tabasco''), and salt. It is produced by McIlhenny Company of Avery Island in south Louisiana, having been created over 150 years ago by ...
. The ghost chili is rated at more than one million
Scoville Heat Unit The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spiciness or "heat") of chili peppers, as recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU), based on the concentration of Capsaicin#Capsaicinoids, capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominan ...
s (SHUs). However, in the race to grow the
hottest chili pepper Especially among growers in the US, the UK, and Australia, there has been a competition since the 1990s to grow the hottest chili pepper. Chili pepper species and cultivars registering over 1,000,000 Scoville Heat units (SHU) are called "super-ho ...
, the ghost chili was superseded by the
Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T is a '' Capsicum chinense'' cultivar that is among the hottest peppers in the world. It is indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. It was named by Neil Smith from The Hippy Seed Company, after he got the seeds origi ...
in 2011 and the
Carolina Reaper The Carolina Reaper is a cultivar of the ''Capsicum chinense'' plant. Developed by American breeder Ed Currie, the pepper is red and gnarled, with a bumpy texture and small pointed tail. In 2017, ''Guinness World Records'' declared it the hottes ...
in 2013.


Etymology and regional names

The name ''bhüt jolokia'' (ভোট জলকীয়া) means 'Bhutanese pepper' in Assamese; the first element ''bhüt'', meaning 'Bhutan', was mistakenly confused for a near-
homonym In linguistics, homonyms are words which are homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of pronunciation), or homophones (equivocal words, that share the same pronunciation, regardless of spelling), or both. Using this definition, ...
''bhut'' meaning 'ghost'. In
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, the pepper is also known as ''bih zôlôkia'' ('poison chili'), from
Assamese Assamese may refer to: * Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India * People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam * Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...
''bih'' 'poison' and ''zôlôkia'' 'chili pepper,' denoting the plant's heat. Similarly, in
Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...
, one of the regions of cultivation, the chili is called ''Naga jolokia'' ('Naga chili'; also romanized ''nôga zôlôkia'') and ''bhut jolokia'' (also romanized ''bhût zôlôkiya''). This name is especially common in other regions where it is grown, such as
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
and
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
. Other usages on the subcontinent are ''saga jolokia'', 'Indian mystery chili' and 'Indian rough chili'. It has also been called the Tezpur chili after the Assamese city of
Tezpur Tezpur () is a city and urban agglomeration in Sonitpur district, Assam state, India. Tezpur is located on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, northeast of Guwahati, and is the largest of the north bank cities with a population exceeding 100, ...
. In
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
, the chili is called ''umorok'' or ''oo-morok'' ('tree chili'). In northeastern India, the ''bhut jolokia'' is also known as the "king chilli" or "king cobra chilli'".


Scoville rating

In 2000, India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a Scoville rating for the ghost pepper of 855,000 SHUs, and in 2004 a rating of 1,041,427 SHUs was made using
HPLC High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), formerly referred to as high-pressure liquid chromatography, is a technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify, and quantify each component in a mixture. It relies on pumps to pa ...
analysis. For comparison, Tabasco red pepper sauce rates at 2,500–5,000, and pure
capsaicin Capsaicin (8-methyl-''N''-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) ( or ) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus ''Capsicum''. It is a chemical irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning ...
(the chemical responsible for the
pungency Pungency () refers to the taste of food commonly referred to as spiciness, hotness or heat, found in foods such as chili peppers. Highly pungent tastes may be experienced as unpleasant. The term piquancy () is sometimes applied to foods with a l ...
of pepper plants) rates at 16,000,000 SHUs. In 2005,
New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...
's
Chile Pepper Institute The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is an international research-based and non-profit organization specializing in research, education and archiving information related to ''Capsicum'' or chile pepp ...
in
Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern New ...
found ghost peppers grown from seed in southern
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
to have a Scoville rating of 1,001,304 SHUs by HPLC. Unlike most peppers, ghost peppers produce
capsaicin Capsaicin (8-methyl-''N''-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) ( or ) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus ''Capsicum''. It is a chemical irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning ...
in vesicles found in both the placenta around the seeds and throughout the fruit, rather than just in the placenta.


Characteristics

Ripe peppers measure in length and in width with a red, yellow, orange, or chocolate color. The unselected strain of ghost peppers from India is an extremely variable plant, with a wide range in fruit sizes and fruit production per plant. Ghost pepper pods are unique among peppers because of their characteristic shape and very thin skin. However, the red fruit variety has two different types: the rough, dented fruit and the smooth fruit. The rough fruit plants are taller, with more fragile branches, while the smooth fruit plants yield more fruit and are compact with sturdier branches. It takes about 7–12 days to germinate at 32–38 °C.


Uses

Ghost peppers are used as a food and a spice. It is used in both fresh and dried forms to "heat up" curries, pickles and
chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce. ...
s. It is popularly used in combination with pork or dried or fermented fish. In northeastern India, the peppers are smeared on fences or incorporated in smoke bombs as a safety precaution to keep wild
elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and ...
at a distance. The pepper's intense heat makes it a fixture in competitive chili-pepper eating.


Chili grenades

In 2009, scientists at India's
Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India ...
(DRDO) announced plans to use the peppers in
hand grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
s as a
nonlethal Non-lethal weapons, also called nonlethal weapons, less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional ...
method to control rioters with
pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
s or in self-defence. The DRDO said that ghost pepper-based aerosol sprays could be used as a "safety device", and "civil variants" of chili
grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
s could be used to control and disperse mobs. Chili grenades made from ghost peppers were successfully used by the
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
in August 2015 to flush out a terrorist hiding in a cave.


Gallery

File:Bhut jolokia 10 Days.JPG, Ghost pepper leaf, about 10-day-old plant File:Bhut jolokia leaf.JPG, Ghost pepper leaf, about 30-day-old plant File:Bhut jolokia plant 40 days.JPG, Ghost pepper plant, 40 days old, grown in coco peat File:Naga Jolokia Peppers.jpg File:BhutJolokia02 Asit.jpg File:BhutJolokia03 Asit.jpg File:BhutJolokia04 Asit.jpg File:BhutJolokia06 Asit.jpg File:BhutJolokia08 Asit.jpg File:Peach Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg, Peach ghost pepper File:Yellow Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg, Yellow ghost pepper File:Chocolate Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg, Chocolate ghost pepper File:Purple Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg, Purple ghost pepper File:Red Bhut Jolokia Ghost PepperParadise.org.JPG, Red ghost pepper File:Bjhut-Jolokia.jpg, Ripe, harvested ''bhut jolokia'' File:Bhut-Jolokia-plant.jpg, ''Bhut jolokia''/ghost pepper plant


See also

* List of ''Capsicum'' cultivars


References

{{Capsicum cultivars Capsicum cultivars Chili peppers Medicinal plants of Asia Flora of Assam (region) Geographical indications in Nagaland